Code of Dishonor: Twin Destinies

Story by Leo_Todrius on SoFurry

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#7 of Code of Dishonor

Written by

Commissioned by Cidius

The Beast Lord begins his assault on the kingdom of Dunbrune, but the interference of an ice mage diverts the attack... briefly.

Carlo, Ice Horn the Decadent: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9014126/

Alto, Iron Hoof the Brave: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9014504/

Laurence, Neptos the Daring: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9014236/

The Beast Lord: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9015705/

Greyson, Silver Wing the Notorious: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9014200/

Terras, Razor Claw the Carnal: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9196361/

Duron, Stone Fangs the Venomous: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9014183/

Ragnus, Salamand the Wrathful: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9014264/


Code of Dishonor: Twin Destinies Written by Leo_Todrius Commissioned by Cidius

The Beast Lord had waited for decades in silence, imprisoned in a mountain. He had plotted and prepared with stealth and cunning, recruiting his army. He had moved about in the shadows, he had stalked his prey from afar, but the time had come at last... the time to strike. The great river had turned against the laws of nature itself. A great wave carried the Cobalt Blade upstream, the water washing against the river banks in a tumult of frothing foam.

The great sails of the ship remained full of wind, massive paw prints emblazoned on the fabric. The Beast Lord wouldn't ever hide again. He stood on the deck of the ship, the leather bound Code of Dishonor laid out before him. His hand hovered over the blank pages as ink came into being, describing the journey, the rise to power, the corruption of the hearts and minds that would win out in the end.

The Beast Lord's generals had assembled on the vessel as well. Stone Fangs and Salamand were to either side, his earliest followers. Razor Claw and Eclipse stood behind them, their eyes on the shores while Silver Wing sailed high above the ship, the same wind that propelled the pirate ship keeping him aloft. Amid all the preparations, the pirate king Neptos navigated the ship up the river, his aquatic pirates as hard at work as ever in a rainbow of scale shades.

The dramatic advance of the ship was impressive and terrifying. It send women and children screaming into the woods, escaping the coming darkness... but for some reason the men remained, their eyes lingering on the ship as if something had connected with their souls. The beast Lord looked out to the masses that would soon be under his sway, knowing he would convert them all in due time.

High above, Silver Wing used his vision to see far ahead of the ship... and for the first time he saw someone standing in their way. A small bridge spanned the river, the kind the ship had smashed through before, but sitting atop the bridge was a mage night on a winter elk. The knight's uniform was black and blue, his dark blue hair swept back neatly. His glasses glinted in the light as he searched the horizon for the rumored advancing ship. It was the king's right hand knight Carlo. Silver Wing's call cut through the air, warning those in the ship below.

"My lord, a mage night is ahead." Stone Fangs related. The beast lord took a breath.

"We can not afford a delay, word is spreading of our approach already. Neptos, take us up and over." The beast lord commanded. The pirate king slowly grinned, summoning the magic the beast lord had imparted him with. The water beneath the Cobalt Blade began to roar, surging and lifting up, the wave rising above the banks. The pirate ship rushed forward with ever greater power.

It was as if the water of the river was being pulled to the ship itself, propelling it along, nearly draining the river bed behind it. The Cobalt Blade continued, the mage knight on the bridge becoming visible to those with only normal vision and the mage knight saw them. Carlo gasped gently, seeing the pirate ship racing so far inland. It was unnatural, it wasn't right... but it wasn't outside of his power to prevent either.

Carlo brought his hands up and began to summon all of his magic. The elk he rode snorted gently, the breath leaving his nostrils turning into steam. The placid waters of the river ahead of the ship began to slow to a crawl, solidifying as ice crystals spread across the surface and sunk down deeper, freezing the river solid. As the great wave continued, the ship began to creak more and more, slowing suddenly.

Neptos grunted sharply, wincing as his powers were subverted. The ship slowed further, foot by foot until it came to a stop. The generals peered over the edges. They were more than twenty feet in the air, suspended on a column of ice that resembled a great tsunami frozen in place. The beast lord tilted his head a bit. He had to admit, he was impressed. The demon lifted his hand and let out a signal. The mage was worthy of their time after all.

Dirt flew up in tiny bits as Salamand and Razor Claw hit the ground, leaping from the ship. They pushed off with impeccable speed, charging after the mage. Silver Wing dove down as well, the three moving to corner the mage. Carlo kneed his Elk in the ribs gently, indicating danger approached. The majestic creature lunged over the bridge, skidding past Razor Claw before bounding into a full gallop. Razor Claw skidded before the tiger man spun and shifted, pushing after them again. Salamand skittered over the bridge, moving to make up lost time.

Carlo panted gently in time with his elk, the two moving at full speed. They had stopped the advance, but they didn't know for how long. Now the only thing they could do was get word out to the others, to prepare the defense force. Carlo leaned down, stroking the neck of his mount, his eyes on the horizon. From that vantage he could not see the greatest danger to his escape.

Back on the Cobalt Blade, the Beast Lord had focused not on Carlo but on the mage's elk. He closed his eyes and held his hands out, summoning the magic of nature, the power of the animals. He had subverted nature itself around Invess and Jabin. Now he had a specific target. As the elk ran, he began to snort more and shudder. His balls began to swell and his male member slipped free of his sheath. The elk let out a call as he went into heat.

"Yakul, calm down... We must get help..." Carlo pleaded, but the creature was responding to urges and magics far stronger than he had ever felt. The elk groaned out as his antlers seemed to grow out, splitting into more prongs, the elk maturing. His body began to swell too, muscles bulging across his form. Carlo gritted his teeth, trying to hold on but it was too hard. The straps to the saddle snapped. Carlo tried to hang on but soon he and his saddle slipped from the elk.

Carlo tumbled to the ground, holding out his hands. A long sheet of ice spread out before him, creating a runway of sorts that smoothed out the terrain. Carlo skidded to a stop eventually, panting. He looked up just long enough to see Yakul running off into the trees in frantic search of a mate. Carlo had expected many things, but never that.

As the ice mage got back to his feet, he paused, turning slowly. Salamand rose up from all fours to stand behind him. Razor Claw rose up to the side and the ground trembled as Silver Wing touched down near by. Carlo took a breath, looking at them all before he brought his hands down. The air turned icy and snow flakes began to form, swirling around Carlo before shooting out at the others. Salamand defended himself with a fire bubble while Razor Claw held out his paw, causing the ground to wrap around Carlo's legs.

Carlo grunted as he sank down, vines swirling around his waist and then arms, binding him together. The snow died down as he was kept in place. Carlo tried to break free but he looked up as he heard the ice sheet he had made shattering. The ice trembled and shook before it melted, spreading out in a small wave of water. The water rippled as the beast lord's large talons came down into it, carrying him along toward his newest target.

"I have recruited a lot of knight mages, I'm rather ashamed that I hadn't brought you under my wing yet. It is a mistake I will soon rectify." The beast lord smiled.

"So it is you... Invess, Jabin? You corrupted Duron, Ragnus, Terras?" Carlo murmured.

"My lord, he is the ice mage... He works directly for the king." Salamand said in a voice all too familiar to Carlo. Carlo looked at the dragon kin, at his face before gasping.

"Ragnus..." he whispered softly, looking to the tiger next, "Terras..."

"Salamand and Razor Claw actually, they received new titles with their new lives... as you will." The beast lord said with a smile as he crouched down, holding his hand out to Carlo's head. Carlo struggled more, his fingers tugging at the vines. He called out in disgust and shame before he suddenly gasped. Images of his flirtations with the king filled his mind, images of hidden and secret kisses, of massages, of sweet nothings whispered.

"No, that... is... private..." Carlo whispered.

"Sordid affairs always are... But why keep it a secret when you can make it public? Don't you want him to love you forever, as you are, with no secrets?" The beast lord asked. Carlo groaned, fighting his binds more to no effect.

"You'll never... corrupt me! My loyalty is to the king..." Carlo moaned. To his surprise, a laugh came from the beast lord as the clawed hand stroked his head once more.

"You, Carlo? You will be the smallest challenge of all. You are no stranger to corruption, to lust, to desire, to the thirst for power. You are more like me than any of my followers have been. You are the consort of the king, taking him away from his wife and family, feeding his hunger for man flesh..." The beast lord whispered.

"No..." Carlo whimpered, but he knew it to be true. The beast lord's words reached deep into Carlo, awakening his primal instincts all the more. Carlo's blue hair began to grow a bit longer and a bit thicker, the dark blue lightening with silver streaks and becoming turquoise on the tips.

"The grunts and moans you let out at night, worthy of the beasts themselves..." The beast lord added.

"I am a good man..." Carlo replied, but he knew he was lying. His ears began to stretch and grow into points, sloping away from his cheeks. The white and blue mane of hair on his head started to spread, growing out across his neck and chin as his arm hair turned white as well with the faintest turquoise tinge.

"You may be a good lover, but you are no good man... Just think of those fantasies you had about your brother, Alto. You are corrupt, you are perverted, you are mine." The beast lord grinned. Carlo's back arched as the corruption was awoken even more. The fantasies played through his mind as he squeezed his eyes tight. The generals watched Carlo's head bulge and shift, the skin trying to hold something back before thick ribbed horns broke through.

Carlo called out in lust and pain and defiance, but the more he fought it, the more his body knew it was corrupt. The horns pushed out and up from his head like double swords being unsheathed. They curved back along his skull before curling around, the tips ringing his ears before aiming forward again. Carlo's scream of shock and pain became one of lust and pride as his horns came to rest, huge and heavy and proud.

The ice mage panted and gasped before he let out a soft moan. He felt so much more liberated, so much more... right. He looked up at his horns before he shuddered, looking at the beast lord. The beast lord grinned, reaching out to tear at Carlo's uniform. The fabric came apart easily, revealing a furry muscled chest. As the beast lord tore the uniform apart, Carlo's chest swelled and grew furrier, the faintest hints of a dark silver around the edges of his pectorals.

"What is this?" Carlo whispered.

"This is your true form being revealed Carlo." The beast lord said, reaching down to stroke his cock gently. Carlo looked to it, murmuring softly. The beast lord chuckled, "You have tasted the seed of a king, now taste the seed of a lord." He whispered. Carlo gave one feeble attempt to resist, but all his restraint was gone. He plunged his face forward, stuffing his mouth and throat with cock. He was a well trained slut, sucking and slurping greedily. The beast lord let out a roar and began to feed his newest recruit.

Carlo's body embraced the change quickly, nourished by it. His sleeves and pant legs tore as a thick coat of white fur erupted from it. His fingers grew tougher, his fingernails darkening and hardening. The tears in his pants spread up his wooly legs before the crotch split, revealing a thick furry sheath.

Beads of yellow-white precum leaked out before a thick, hard equine shaft began to emerge. The head was flat and wide, the middle of the cock ribbed with a medial ring. Carlo looked down at his cock before he closed his eyes. The beast lord kept fucking the ice mage's mouth, helping him along.

Carlo's boots shifted and began to split, displaced not by growing feet but forming hooves. The keratin coating had dominated his feet, changing them beyond recognition. Carlo suckled like a baby goat, getting so into it that his glasses toppled from his face, falling to the ground. The beast lord moved his hand over his newest convert, pulling the rest of the clothes from Carlo until his true body was revealed.

The ice mage had been revealed in his base form, a furry white goat man... a satyr. His proud ram horns were perfect for holding onto as he sucked men off and he would never be uncomfortable in his own element. The beast lord groaned before he finished off his load and removed himself from the goat man's mouth. A few of his generals moaned as well, showering Carlo with their own seed before their orgasms finished off.

"My lord, what will you dub him? What is his new name to be?" Razor Claw asked softly. The beast lord moved to rest his cock on each of Carlo's shoulders.

"He is now Ice Horn the Decadent." The beast lord said tenderly. Carlo looked up obediently, licking the sperm from his lips.

"Should we return to the ship, continue our assault?" Salamand asked. The beast lord considered for a moment.

"We will advance, but I will give Ice Horn another mission. It would be wrong to divide a family after all." The beast lord said with a growing grin.

****

The sound of hammer hitting anvil echoed through the outskirts of the capitol city, the impact of cold, hard metal and freshly forged alloy as regular as the heartbeat of mankind. Steam and smoke wafted up from the blacksmith's shop, curling together in a spiral of ingenuity. The roof of the blacksmith's shop extended out past the building, creating an outdoor workshop that provided better ventilation. In the midst of it all was Alto.

Alto was a well meaning young man. He was five foot six but incredibly well muscled from his years of hard work. While his brother was much taller, Alto could best anyone in a fight... and often had when he was younger. Alto had proven himself as a blacksmith, showing everyone around that while his brother had magical abilities, he had the magic of mankind... industry.

Much to Alto's dubious regret, now he was being forced to combine his magic with natural magic. His hammer came down on a teal allow, swirls of silver vein running through the unusual metal. Every artisan, blacksmith and tailor in the capitol city had been conscripted to make the magic proof armor, to protect the troops from the coming enemies. Alto didn't understand it much, nor did he care to. His only focus was escaping punishment for not carrying out the king's command.

From a distance, Ice Horn watched his brother, trembling with desire and anticipation. He hadn't seen Alto in a few years, so busy with his own advancement. Alto had grown even more handsome... His brown hair was naturally feathered, looking perfectly in place without any effort. His jaw was square and proud. His shoulders were wide. He looked like a power house... and Ice Horn could no longer control his desires for power.

The satyr took a few steps forward, the ground freezing around his feet. The air grew cold and all Ice Horn wanted was to feel the warmth of his brother. Carlo had always been the older brother, the taller brother, the gifted brother... but Alto was bigger, stronger and so masculine. The satyr licked his lips slowly as he approached, his heart pounding. He knew now more than ever what the beast lord meant, that humans were destined to thrive in dishonor.

Alto continued to hammer at the magical armor, the perfect precision of the hammering echoing into the air. Even as he kept time, his eyes drifted to his barrels of water as they froze over. Then he looked to the armor as the heat vented out of it, the red hot grips going cold. Alto's hammer came down one last time before he stopped, looking at his breath as the air grew cold enough to freeze it into a fog as well. The blacksmith looked up from his work, then around... and then he saw the satyr. Alto stumbled back, grabbing up the chest piece, holding it before him like a shield.

"Demon, leave this place, your powers have no effect!" Alto called out. Ice Horn approached closer, a soft quirk on his lips.

"All these years and you're still afraid of magic, of what it can do." Ice Horn whispered. Alto hesitated, hearing his brother's voice. He looked at Ice Horn in disbelief.

"B... Brother?" Alto asked, looking at the ice white satyr.

"It's me, brother. I'm home." Ice Horn replied, outstretching one hand for Alto. Alto backed up more, bumping into the hand rail around the edge of his workshop. Ice Horn looked saddened by that, his outstretched hand turning to face the ground, lingering for a moment before it lowered. Alto looked at the satyr, at all the humanity that remained in his face.

"What happened to you? What... Did the enemy do this?" Alto asked. Ice Horn continued advancing, watching his brother squeeze up against the guard rail with no where to go. Ice Horn lifted his hand and caressed Alto's cheek.

"There is no enemy but ourselves. I was finally freed, seeing what I've been missing. I've tried for so long to replace the holes I had in m childhood with adult pursuits, but what I truly need is my family." Ice Horn said softly, gazing into Alto's eyes... but they were eyes that were glaring back.

"Holes in your childhood... Was it because you were loved so much? Were you too smart? The burden of being gifted? You wound up in the court of the king... I was the last to be notified of our duties to the king." Alto snapped back.

"But it can be so much different for us both now Alto. You are truly special; magic has nothing to do with it. You have a strong heart, dedication... I can see the beast in you." Ice Horn whispered.

"The beast... the beast, like you have become?" Alto asked. Ice Horn grinned.

"Yes, brother, like me... and it is wonderful. Feel me, brother. Feel what I have to offer!" Ice Horn said, taking Alto's hands, placing them on his chest. Alto tried to pull away but the goat fur was so soft and warm. His fingers trailed through it before tangling, tugging on the fur a bit before kneading the flesh beneath. After a moment he snatched his hands back.

"What is your real motive? Why come to me? You are trying to find out about the armor, aren't you?" Alto asked. For all his years of training, strengthening and working to better himself, he looked a lot more like the vulnerable little brother he had been all those years ago. Ice Horn leaned in to kiss his brother's head gently.

"The Beast Lord would love to know about the armor, but I am here for you and only you... to keep our family together, to ensure that we continue toward a brighter future. Alto, I love you..." Ice Horn whispered. Alto looked back at his brother, searching those eyes for a long moment.

"You know... you haven't said that since... I was fifteen." Alto said gently. Ice Horn gave a weak smile.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I was afraid; I was worried about our destiny... and what I might do. But there's no going back. I love you..." Ice Horn whispered, leaning in, pressing his lips to Alto's. Alto's eyes went wide in shock as he felt the lips on his, the soft fuzz covering his face, his body.

He felt so familiar and so strange, so warm and so cold, so strong and weak. It was a concert of opposites and it was ensnaring Alto. He wanted to protect Ice Horn, to embrace him, to feel that fur all over himself. His own older brother was kissing him on the lips, like a wife or girlfriend... but it was for him, all for him and his brotherly love. Alto kept thinking about the kiss, but finally Ice Horn began to pry his brother's lips open.

Alto fought the tongue at first but he relented, feeling it slide in. His own tongue pushed back experimentally, finding soon that it felt rather good... but something was off. Alto wasn't the helpless little brother he had been. He was a man, an adult, and he was not the submissive one. Ice Horn nearly bleated out in surprise as his brother pushed him back, the two still entwined.

The satyr stumbled back until he hit a column supporting the roof. Alto pinned him there, kissing his brother. Ice Horn melted against Alto, wrapping his furry arms around his brother's muscled body. He could already feel it, the gift of the beast lord flowing out of his body and into Alto, feeding on the corruption and dishonor. Alto kissed Ice Horn forcefully. At first it was the desire to be the dominant in the mating, but soon it was his desire to be dominant as a brother, as a man, years of inferiority replaced with strength and pride. Alto was going to show Ice Horn how much he had grown.

Alto began to kiss Ice Horn more possessively, his tongue probing Ice Horn's mouth. His fingers swept through the furry chest of the satyr before he reached down, daring to grope the furry sheath. He was rewarded with a hot wet flood of pre. Alto didn't stop, even as his own fingernails turned from white to brown and the hair on his arm started to grow thicker. Ice Horn grinned, saying nothing.

As the younger brother asserted himself, his body continued to change. His stomach hardened, the muscles that were already there swelling larger and thicker. His pectorals grew and his shoulders spread wider. The leather strapping holding his shirt collar together stretched before it popped and snapped, revealing a wedge of man meat that was growing hairier as thick soft brown grew out from the skin. Ice Horn couldn't hold back, reaching up to stroke his younger brother's chest fur. Alto looked down at the fingers and then the fur before he stepped back in shock.

"What are you doing to me? What is this?" Alto asked, but his voice was already deepening. He let out a snort of power at the sound before he shook his head, focusing back on the satyr.

"I'm not doing anything. You are becoming your true self... The gift of the beast lord is liberating you, helping you to see our twin destinies." Ice Horn said, reaching down to stroke his shaft, looking up at his brother, "Make love to me." He said.

Alto grunted, feeling torn. His body was so strong, so virile and potent and fertile. He was a man, the man, the dominant. Fucking his brother would prove that forever, putting him on top... but it is what a heathen would do, what a vile and debased creature would do. It was already turning him into one... but what a specimen he was. Alto looked down at his larger hands, his hairy arms, his shredding shirt.

Ice Horn stepped forward and reached out, moving to stroke Alto's leg. Alto shuddered, feeling how tight his pants were. They were like tissue paper over mounds of meat. Alto's legs were thicker than ever, bulging and spreading... and then it came, the sound of tearing fabric. His pant leg popped and a hairy leg appeared, the hair growing softer and thicker until it was nothing but brown fur.

In a bid to further seduce his brother, Ice Horn leaned in to nuzzle at Alto's chest. Alto groaned, feeling so powerful. He lifted his arms and flexed them, watching the muscle bulge well beyond normal. His sleeves tore, brown fur exploded from his arms and his limbs stretched. Ice Horn gained a few inches in his leg, more in his spine and many in his arms. The fur spread across his shoulders, ringing the top of his back and base of his neck like a mantle. The fur spread down his legs more as well as his pants deteriorated all the more.

"Brother, look how strong and powerful you are... So beastly, so manly..." Ice Horn whispered. Alto was panting hard, sweating, groaning. He couldn't resist it any more. He shoved Ice Horn back into the column and kissed him again, feeling the power surging through his body. Ice Horn started to tear at Alto's clothing without restraint, pulling the tunic away to reveal his huge, hairy, muscled torso as the fur spread even more. The pants provided even less resistance.

A light humping from the satyr was all it took for the pants to shed away. While Alto's hips had remained mostly human in shape, the anatomy had changed quite a bit. Thick waves of fur swept down his legs starting at his hips, leaving his muscled ass cheeks covered and an ample sheath dangling from above swelling furry balls. Alto snorted more and more, each hot breath passing through wider nostrils. His nose grew leathery, widening and flattening. Each slurp of his tongue rounded his cheeks and thickened his jaw. Even his brows grew more muscled and less human.

After a surge of growth, Alto reached and even started to surpass his brother in height. His extremities were beastly and his head was catching up. His teeth grew flatter and thicker with each moment they kissed, but the biggest change to his appearance came as his ears stretched out, growing leathery and fuzzy, folding over themselves a bit.

Even Alto's stance changed as his ass cheeks parted, making room for his tailbone to grow out. New bone segments filled in, new muscles wrapped the length. It stretched out like a leather cord, though a thick puff of black fur exploded from the tip as it whipped around behind his furry legs. The blacksmith's boots pried apart and split, revealing toes growing together as hard bone spread over them.

Alto lifted up another few inches as his feet turned into hooves. His ankle shifted, his knees, even his waist a bit. His back was more hunched, the mantle of fur hanging down over his chest so well. Alto panted and pulled back from the kiss, looking into Ice Horn's eyes... not so much at his brother's soul, but at his own reflection. He could make out how animal he was and he wanted to scream, but whether that scream was fear or triumph, he didn't know... and he didn't get the chance.

The changing beast man's back went rigid as the last change spread through his body. Blood drops leaked from his head before tiny horn nubs pushed out... followed by much thicker horn roots. The horn curved a tiny bit before thickening rapidly. The horns spread straight out from the sides of his head before the tips curled and pointed forward. Between the horns, his cow ears and the tail, it was clear he was becoming a bull.

The beast lord had been very careful to maintain a look of humanity, to keep everything in check. With the demon king absent, Alto's change was just a bit more beastly than the rest, just a bit more animal. He looked more primal, stronger and far more of a risk. He snorted and groaned before his thick, plum red cock pushed out of his sheath, letting down a rain of manly juices. Drool escaped the bull's lips as well as he looked at the satyr. Ice Horn was so thin, so gangly, so weak in comparison. He'd make a perfect bull fuck toy.

Alto grabbed Ice Horn and sent him flying. Ice Horn grabbed onto the anvil, panting with shock and desire, his cock swinging free. Alto lunged at Ice Horn and grabbed him from behind, spreading his legs wide, sliding his newly animal cock up and down between the cheeks. He knew this was his brother, his big brother... and that Ice Horn wouldn't be the most special one anymore. Without words, Alto tilted his hips and speared into Ice Horn, sliding in and out, working deeper as he gripped his brother's hips with inhuman strength.

Ice Horn called out in bliss as he felt his brother filling him so well, realizing that Alto had been given his own kind of magic; strength surpassing any human's. Ice Horn pushed back, feeling the hot rod spear into his body, spreading warmth through him. Alto slammed in over and over, snorting through his leathery nostrils, his hard hooves digging into the ground, his tail flicking around. He wasn't even a shadow of his former self...

"Very, very impressive..." The beast lord murmured as he stepped out of the shadows with Eclipse's help. Ice Horn shuddered and moaned, his cock flinging cum all over the ground.

"My... My lord!" he panted hard. The bull threw his head back and roared in pleasure as he slammed deep in his brother, held himself there and pumped his wicked sperm deep. The orgasm lasted for several moments before the bull leaned down to lick at his brother's ram horns. The beast lord moved forward, lifting a hand to caress and massage Alto's firm muscles.

"Normally I would knight you with my shaft, but I don't think I can reach those shoulders of yours my friend." The beast lord grinned.

"You are the one I have to thank for bringing my brother back to me?" Alto asked. The beast lord nodded.

"Humanity is united in its dishonor, so families should be. I look to the deeper truth of life, that we are driven by instincts and desires. I embrace that and gain power from it... just as you have. Will you serve me?" The beast lord asked.

"I pledge you my strength... and my life, in thanks for giving me back my brother." Alto replied. The beast lord reached down, running a finger over the tip of his shaft to collect some of his left over juices before wiping them on Alto's shoulders.

"Then I dub you Iron Hoof the Brave." The beast lord said with a smile.

"Iron Hoof... and Ice Horn. Very nice my lord." Eclipse said from where he stood.

"I have come to collect you both, we advance on the castle." The beast lord said, offering his hand. Iron Hoof slid out of his brother slowly, taking the beast lord's hand and then his brother's. The beast lord turned to take Eclipse's and together the four melted into the shadows, shadows that stretched and danced across the landscape, hopping from the shadows of houses to trees, zig zagging into the far distance where a far more looming darkness awaited... the castle of Dunbrune.